My friend Jean served a delicious treat: Orange Rhubarb Pie. I no longer use granulated sugar* and wondered if local maple syrup might serve as a substitute. I am pleased to say the experiment worked well:Maple-Orange-Rhubarb Pie

*Sugar has a terrible history; it was at the heart of slavery in the West Indies in the 18th century, and many cane workers (mostly Haitians) continue to live under appalling conditions in the Dominican Republic. (I have seen cane workers in Guatemala harvesting sugar cane with machetes, while debris in adjacent fields was being burned; the workers were covered with soot – blackened faces, arms, clothing . . and we can guess blackened lungs.) There is also the issue of GMO sugar beets used for granulated sugar. For more info on the sugar trade see http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/big-sugar/ How lucky we are to have the option of local maple syrup.